Refrigerator tray filling device



NOV. 19, 1968 W E W|LSON REFRIGERATOR rIRAY FILLING DEVICE Filed Sept.27, 1965 United States Patent O 3,411,554 REFRIGERATOR TRAY FILLINGDEVICE William E. Wilson, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Kelvinator, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation ofDelaware Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,491 3 Claims. (Cl. 141-351)ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A water filling device for an ice cube trayhaving a water transferring arrangement whereby upon the removal of thetray from its stored position within a freezer section of a refrigeratorit readies a measured amount of water for subsequent transfer to thetray upon the return of the tray to its stored position.

This invention relates to refrigerators in general, and moreparticularly to ice cube trays and means and methods for filling them ina refrigerator.

It is commonly known to keep ice cube trays in the freezer compartmentof the refrigerator. However, normally, the ice cube trays are filledbefore they are placed in the refrigerator. This is inconvenient,troublesome and accordingly a task that is frequently avoided andresults in empty ice cube trays when they are most needed.

It is an object of this invention to disclose an improved means andmethod for filling ice cube trays while they are in the freezercompartment of the refrigerator.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to disclose meansfor automatically filling an empty ice cube tray with water when-it isreturned to the refrigerator and for dong so with just the right amountof Water from a conveniently located external source.

These and other and more specific objects and advantages to be gained inthe practice of this invention will be more fully understood andappreciated upon a reading of the following specification in regard to apreferred embodiment of this invention and having reference to theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of means for automatically filling an icecube tray in a refrigerator, with certain parts shown schematically, inphantom positions and as otherwise useful in more fully understandingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of certain parts of the device shown in thefirst drawing figure;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of another embodiment of this invention and arerespectively similar to the first two drawing figures mentioned.

A refrigerator 5 is shown with a freezer compartment 6 and having asource of water 8 which is external to the freezer compartment. Thewater source 8 itself may be filled from another source (not shown) by apipe 10. This may be from a water line connection made to the rear ofthe refrigerator, a separate storage container which is periodicallyfilled, or some other such means.

When the refrigerator freezer compartment door (not shown) is opened, anice cube tray 12 may be inserted into and removed from a stored positiontherein on a shelf 14.

When the tray 12 is placed near the back of the shelf 14 it engages arod 16 which projects through the freezer compartment wall 18. The rod16 is slidably mounted in a bearing 20 that extends through the freezercompartment wall 18 and has its free end disposed in the path ofmovement of the tray 12 into its stored position.

The opposite end of the rod 16 is affixed to a flexible 3,411,554Patented Nov. 19, 1968 bellow type displacement pump which includes abellows member 22 biased to its expanded position by a compressionspring 23 within the chamber area 24 of the flexible pump body member.

The spring 23 serves to keep the bellows expanded and the rod 16extended for engagement with the tray 12 during its movement into andfrom its stored position in the freezer compartment. However, it issufficienty light to yield Without noticeable effort when the tray isinserted into the storage compartment space.

The chamber space 24 in the bellows 22 of the displacement pump memberis in communication with the water supply source 8 through a fluidpassage conduit 25. Within the fluid passage conduit 25 is a one-waycheck valve 26 which closes in response to back pressure; that is, agreater fluid pressure within the bellows chamber 24 than on the sourceside of the valve.

As may be anticipated, the flexible bellows type `displacement pump thusdraws water from the source 8 into the chamber 24 as the bellows member22 is extended and expanded and the check valve 26 precludes passage ofthe water from the bellows member back when it is contracted.

A conduit 28, open to the bellows chamber space 24,

`extends through the compartment wall 18 into the compartment space 6over the shelf 14 and in a position to fill a tray 12 positioned on theshelf. A one way check valve 29 in the conduit line 28 operates oppositeto the check valve 26 and is closed when the other is open and viceversa. As a consequence, when the bellows member 22 is expanded water isdrawn into the chamber space 24 therewithin and when it is contractedwater is moved from the bellows space through the conduit 28 and into anice cube tray 12 positioned on the shelf 14.

The power stroke of the displacement pump takes place when the rod 16 isengaged by the tray 12, as it is moved into its stored position on theshelf 14, and the rod activates the bellows member 22. This compressesthe spring 23 and causes the chamber 24 to be collapsed. This, in turn,forces a predetermined amount of water in the chamber space 24 past thecheck valve 29 and through the conduit 28 into the tray 12 to fill it toa predetermined level.

An air vent 30 is provided in the conduit 28 to insure that all of thewater in the flow passage line 28 will be drained therefrom and will notbe left to freeze and block the passage for subsequent use.

It will be appreciated that when the ice cube tray 12 is removed fromthe shelf 14, the spring 23 causes the bellows chamber space 24 to beexpanded which in turn creates a suction drawing water through theconduit 25 from the water source 8 and past the check valve 26 into theIbellows chamber space 24 for subsequent use when the empty tray isreturned once more.

A simple self closing float valve 32 may be provided at the w-atersource 8 to control the water level thereat as desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the second embodiment of -the invention shown, parts having similarfunctions are identified by similar numbers with 'the prefix of 1,putting them in the hundred series, when appropriate. Phantom viewpositions of parts are identified by the same number with ya suflix markthereafter.

The container 108 is equivalent to the water source 8 in the previousembodiment and is a tiltable container. It is pivotally mounted on a pin137 and includes a sprout 128 at one end and a deeply dished chamber.area space 138 at the other end thereof. Water fill is through the flowconduit and the amount of water is controlled by the float valve 132 inthe deep dished part of the container.

The tiltable container 108 is formed to include a depending arm 116which projects into the compartment space 6 through an insulated seal140 in the upper part of the compartment wall 118. The a-rm 116 of thetiltable container 108 projects directly into the path of movement ofthe ice cube tray 112 as it would be moved into and from its storedposition on the compartment shelf 114.

Movement of the tray 112 into engagement with the arm 116 will cause thecontainer 108 to ybe tilted land to pour wa-ter therefrom into the traythrough the ller spout 128 suitably positioned for such purpose. Thecontainer 108 remains tilted while the tray 112 is on the shelf 114 andengaging the lever arm 11-6.

When the tray 112 is removed from the shelf 114 the heavier weight ofthe Arear end of the container 108 causes the -tray to return to itsfirst` position, to receive more water, and disposes the arm 116 forengagement by the empty tray when it is returned once more.

As the tray is tilted back to its filling position, the float valve 132,which was held in closing engagement with the ll line 134 when the t-raywas tilted, drops down allowing the proper Iamount of water to enter thetiltable container until the float valve once more closes the watersupply source.

When the tray 112 is again inserted into its stored position the processwill be repeated.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that a simple and expedientmeans has been shown and described wherein a measured amount of watermay be provided to an ice cube tray automatically from an externalsource immediately upon being inserted into a freezer compartment space.

Although a preferred embodiment and acceptable alternate design havebeen shown and described in some detail, it is to be understood andappreciated that this has not been done for purposes of limitation butmore to teach a means and method reaching beyond specic structure.Accordingly, the language of the hereinafter appended claims is to begiven its broadest interpretation and is to be limited only by thespecific exclusions provided therein.

I claim:

1. Means for filling an ice cube tray stored upon a shelf within afreezer compartment provided in a refrigerator and a source of waterexternal to said compartment, comprising:

valve means for said source,

a water storage chamber in communication with said source,

lmeans responsive to the water level in said storage chamber to actuatesaid valve to admit a water supply suicient to ll said ice cube traywhen transferred thereto,

said storage chamber being above and external to said freezercompartment and being separated therefrom and from Said ice cube tray inits stored position by an insulated wall,

conduit means projecting through said insulated wall and `terminatingabove said ice cube tray in its stored position,

means mounting said storage chamber for tilting movement, said storagechamber having an opening arranged upon being tilted to pour itsmeasured contents into said conduit for flow into said ice cube tray,and .a movable member for tilting said storage chamber upon beingengaged by said tray as it is being placed in stored position on saidshelf.

2. The means for filling an ice cube tray in a refrigerator according toclaim 1 which includes mean operable to close said valve means by thetilting of said storage chamber, yand means for resorting said storagechamber from its tilted position upon the disengagement -of said movablemember from said tray.

3. The means for lling an ice cube tray in a refrigerator according toclaim 1 in which the movable member projects through the compartmentwall and said movable member is a pivoted member having its pivotconnection external to said compartment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 758,188 4/1904 Miller 137-2161,853,463 4/1932 Schultheiss 137-216 2,388,662 ll/l945 Anderson et al91-355 1,579,124 3/1926 MacGrath 141-351 X 1,728,888 9/1929 Joerndt etal 222-67 X 2,408,906 10/1946 Bocchicchio 222-166 X 3,045,443 7/1962McGrath et al 62-353 X 3,280,584 10/1966 Grimm et al 62-344 3,306,0642/1967 Poolos 62-353 X FOREIGN PATENTS German Printed Application,1,036,671, August 1958.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner'.

E. J. EARLS, Assistant Examiner.

